This beloved Mexican market in LA is losing business amid immigration raids

In the heart of east Los Angeles stands a beloved Mexican market that has been central to the Latino community in Boyle Heights for more than a half-century. El Mercadito's hallways are lined with ornate cowboy boots, talavera pottery, mariachi suits, traditional snacks and the unusually quiet murmurs of the vendors who continue to open their shops.

"We love this place, we adore this place," says customer, José Morales, 31, who has been coming here with his family his whole life. "And look at it right now, it looks like a ghost-town. Being realistic, people are just scared because of ICE."

Since early June, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has had a large presence in Los Angeles, conducting raids targeting migrants without legal status.

José Morales has fond memories of coming to El Mercadito with his siblings throughout their childhood. He says he's heartbroken to see this beloved community suffer amid ICE raids.

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While the Trump administration has continued to say its primary concern is "violent criminals," it has continued to sweep up many who have no such history — people in Home Depot parking lots, at car washes and in their neighborhoods. According to data released by ICE this month, about a third of people in its detention centers have no criminal history.

The presence of federal agents have kept many immigrants away from public life out of fear that they too could be detained.

Morales, who is a U.S. citizen, still comes to El Mercadito regularly to get his favorite "raspado" or shaved ice, but on this day he also came to the area to get a copy of his birth certificate.

"Even though I was born here and I mean I'm good and everything, I just feel safer with my birth certificate [with me at all times]," he says. "I don't want to be a mistake."

El Mercadito usually has a bustling lunch hour. These days, its stalls and hallways are much quieter.

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The heightened anxiety has meant less foot traffic at the market and in Latino neighborhoods around the city, leading to a slump in business. Marlene Rosado, who manages El Mercadito with her two siblings, says more than half of the stalls there have been closed or are operating under limited hours since ICE raids began.

"Our community is genuinely scared to leave their homes at moments," Rosado says. "And many of the vendors here are also afraid to open shop."

Marlene Rosado and her two siblings have been managing El Mercadito for over a decade, but spent most of their childhood in its halls with their late father who took it over in the mid-1980s.

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One young woman sits idly on her phone next to her grandmother, who has been running a stall at the market for decades.

"I've been basically calling off of work to come help my grandma because unfortunately a lot of employees quit or they're just not coming, because they're scared," she says.

She requested NPR not name her because her family is concerned they could be targeted by ICE. Although her grandmother says she is a lawful permanent resident, she's been on edge.

"She's also scared because she doesn't speak English, so if [federal agents] come and they try to terrorize her with a bunch of questions, she's not going to know what to do, so I have to be here."

Another vendor, Coco Garcia, says she's never seen El Mercadito's halls this quiet — not even during COVID.

"I remember in the pandemic, the government was giving us [financial] help. They're not helping us right now," she says. "The money people have saved up, obviously they're not going to come wasting on stuff they don't need right now, they're going to save it up for their rent, for their bills, for their groceries."

Julia Vasquez began her business selling aguas frescas from a cart 42 years ago. Today, she owns three stalls at El Mercadito, but says with the slump in business, she's having to throw away much of her product by the end of the day.

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Rosado worries some businesses may not make it much longer if customers, and even some shopkeepers, keep staying home. But she remains hopeful.

"I have a lot of faith in our community and our strength as Hispanics, Latinos, Mexicans that are here in Los Angeles and all our immigrant community," she says. "I know that a lot of fear has been instilled, but don't let that be the underlying message. It has to be strength in numbers, strength as a community. Together, we are a force."
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